FIgured I'd give you a little advance warning that you will soon need to update your list again. We are bringing back Smartype. This time, it will work not just in later versions of Word, but on virtually any Windows- or Web-based typing platform. It's currently in beta test, targeted for release early next year. I'll keep you posted.

For those not familiar with Smartype, it had quite a strong following, for years, though platform-limited, as Joe notes in his post. It had a different format from that of many other expanders, and if it comes back will offer another way of doing text expansion.

Some might say, why do we need more than, say, Instant Text and Shorthand, two excellent but different expanders? But I think it's a good thing when MT's and other typists have several options available, different ways of doing things like text expansion. Smartype would bring a third way back, a somewhat different look and feel. Most of the 50 expanders are simple two-column ones, with no or only primitive visual advisories.

In addition I understand another high-end expander designed for MT will be released soon. It will be folder-based.

Here is the current 30-day free trial if anyone wants to take a look. (I'm hoping you will give it a testdrive, Jon!) We would love your comments. If you like it, you can buy it at the prelaunch special half price until the end of January.